Comments (15)

Run,
I belatedly noticed your objection to a comment of mine over at Economist’s View. You objected to my use of the word “crapification” about American medicine.

Crapifaction is a word I picked up from Naked Capitalism, Yves in particular. I’m referring to the top-down crap that doctors complain about so much — the 100 insurance companies with their own rules, the management that is more interested in good testimonials from the patients than good results, etc.

Financialization refers to the 18 year wait to wipe out Hepatitis C while Gilead’s patent winds down and the hospital chargemaster designed to squeeze the max from those who can afford the least.

Countries are not holy anymore — no longer one step below God (still one step below God in importance). Not since black and white television. Now we see countries as land and people. That’s your dog run and this is my dog run; and you’d better stay off my dog run. At least that’s the way television hits a lot of us a lot — and most of us at least some. Get me Marshall McLuhan.

Do you love your kids? Do you think they are holy? Maybe you do think so, but people who love their kids just as much as you do don’t think they are holy. Alternate ways of looking at the same reality; none really right or wrong.

Right now I think my country stinks: disappearance of labor unions. Democracy without labor unions is like a car without gas — it is going nowhere.

The players are not objecting to the new introduction of the national anthem before games — never been done before. They are making a complaint about the gap between our high ideals and our sad reality (permanent human condition). I don’t know how the military even gets into it — except conflated by politicians in order to play with us.

Since when does the yellow-belly, draft dodging, Trump have any business commenting on anyone’s patriotism.

run75441

September 26, 2017 7:36 pm

Spencer:

He does not have any status in questioning patriotism.

EMichael

September 26, 2017 9:31 pm

I have started, and continue to refer to him only as “Old Bone Spurs”.

I urge everyone to use that most accurate name.

sammy

September 26, 2017 11:10 pm

Can’t you see how Trump has trickboxed you?

You are defending spoiled multimillionaires, playing a sport dependent on ticket and television revenues, who won’t stand on two feet for our national anthem.

As Jean Claude van Damme would say in Lionheart…….. “Bad Bet”

EMichael

September 27, 2017 8:50 am

Strange, I thought I was defending the right of free speech for Americans.

Terry

September 27, 2017 8:51 am

I object to the nationalism of it. Surely every thinking person recognizes that the “land of the free” refers to a country with a vigorous First Amendment and back in the day a lot of military veterans could be found who said that they fought for the right to dissent. There is a reason why the ACLU fought to allow neo-Nazis to march in Skokie. I happen to agree with RBG’s original position that Kapernick’s protest was “dumb”, not because it was during the national anthem and not because his cause–police brutality towards people of color was not worthy, but how could you ever determine whether it had any effect? Our fascist in chief’s attacks however seek the sort of blind allegiance to the fatherland that is a precondition for countries going off the rails and his attacks on the press are entirely consistent. The fact that he has somewhere around half the country drinking from his kool-ade is troubling and calls for resistance not only from the NFL, but all “real” Americans. I do not go to many sporting events these days, but I will be taking a knee during the national anthem until we have a new president or the one we have apologizes to all of the real patriots who have dared to speak up about the injustices perpetrated in this country.

Lyle

September 27, 2017 9:11 am

As I heard Ken Burns describe it many of the arguments today are essentially the same ones we had during the Vietnam war. The whole NFL thing is basically the same as “America Love It Or Leave It”, during Vietnam.
The issues that kick off the argument are different but the substance of the point is the same.

EMichael

September 27, 2017 9:22 am

“The fact that he has somewhere around half the country drinking from his kool-ade”-Terry-

The problem is that it is not his kool-ade, it is the same kool-ade they have been drinking their entire lives. As Lyle pointed out, it has not changed.

spencer

September 27, 2017 9:54 am

I love the old bone spurs nick name.

sammy

September 27, 2017 7:35 pm

National Survey: Americans Agree with Trump on National Anthem
64% say NFL players should stand and be respectful
Remington Research Group

Q5: Why would you say you are watching less football this year?
Players using the NFL as a stage for their political views: 69%
New rules that reduce physical contact: 5%
There are too many games during the week: 6%
Games last too long: 2%
Pace of play is too slow: 2%
Something else: 12%
Unsure: 4%

Q6: Do you think NFL players should stand and be respectful during the national anthem?
Yes: 64%
No: 24%
Unsure: 12%

EMichael

September 28, 2017 10:52 am

“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”

H.L. Mencken

sammy

September 29, 2017 7:45 pm

Yes, emichael, this must be awfully baffling to you. Why don’t the minions think like their betters?